Date Presented 04/13/21
Motor challenges are commonly reported in children with autism spectrum disorder and have been linked to challenges with daily living skills (DLS). However, greater specificity is needed to understand which DLS are most associated with motor challenges. This work shows that motor challenges in children are most highly associated with DLS challenges in the domains of dressing, bathing, cleaning, and meal preparation. OTs can use this to inform clinical intervention.
Primary Author and Speaker: Brittany Travers
Additional Authors and Speakers: Szu-Wei Chen
Contributing Authors: Britney Ferri
PURPOSE: Motor challenges are commonly reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Surgent et al., 2020) and have been linked to challenges with daily living skills (DLS) (Jasmin et al., 2009; Travers et al., 2017). However, to best inform clinical intervention, greater specificity is needed to understand which DLS are most associated with motor challenges. The objectives were to evaluate the relationship between motor scores and DLS performance in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to explore associations between motor scores and specific DLS item performance.
DESIGN: The study used a descriptive design. Participants included 101 children with ASD, typical development, or with a family history or diagnosis related to ASD (ages 6-10 years). All participants were verbal at the time of testing. The study utilized parent-report measures of DLS and standardized assessments of motor performance.
RESULTS: Findings indicated a strong relationship between motor profiles and all domains of DLS. At the item level, motor profiles were highly associated with occupations of dressing, bathing, health management, cleaning up/organization, meal preparation/clean-up, education, and safety.
CONCLUSION: Children with motor challenges are likely to experience particular challenges with a diversity of occupations, which is important given the prevalence of motor challenges in children with ASD and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Therapeutic interventions that account for or address these motor challenges are likely to further enhance DLS.
IMPACT STATEMENT: This research adds specificity to show that motor challenges in children are most highly associated with DLS challenges in the occupations of dressing, bathing, cleaning, and meal preparation. Occupational therapists can use this information when considering how the results of motor assessment may guide clinical intervention in children with and without ASD.
References
Travers, B.G., Bigler, E. D., Duffield, T. C., Prigge, M. D. B., Froehlich, A. L., Lange, N., ... Lainhart, J. E. (2017). Longitudinal development of manual motor ability in autism spectrum disorder from childhood to mid-adulthood relates to adaptive daily living skills. Developmental Science, 20(4). https://doi.org.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/10.1111/desc.12401.
Jasmin, E., Couture, M., McKinley, P., Reid, G., Fombonne, E., & Gisel, E. (2009). Sensory-motor and daily living skills of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0617-z
Surgent, O.J., Walczak, M., Zarycki, O., Ausderau, K., & Travers B.G. (2020). IQ and sensory symptom severity best predict motor ability in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10803-020-04536-x
Bal, V. H., Kim, S. H., Cheong, D., & Lord, C. (2015). Daily living skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder from 2 to 21 years of age. Autism, 19(7). https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315575840
